Weekly Wonders 14: Eldritch Archetypes of the Wind Walker
Archetypes of Wintry Madness The eldritch¸ the strange¸ and the weird are often relegated to the domains of villains and NPCs in fantasy¸ with the good guys being the ones who stand in the way of the dark things that remain just beyond our perception¸ which we can never truly understand. But sometimes¸ it can be fun to take on the mantle of the otherworldly¸ and to embrace the alien terrors of the cosmos. Each installment of Weekly Wonders: Eldritch Archetypes contains five archetypes for eldritch characters-those that are weird¸ alien¸ and otherworldly¸ who don't fit in with normal society-as well as a cleric domain devoted to a specific mythos entity or race. For this book¸ we focus on the Wind Walker¸ a primal deity of cold¸ whose voice whispers on the northern winds¸ driving men to madness¸ and to consume the flesh of their fellows. Inspired by the legends of the wendigo¸ the Wind Walker is an unnatural force of corruption¸ an endlessly-hungering deity of frost and madness. The archetypes in this book build on these themes of hunger¸ cannibalism¸ arctic frost¸ and¸ of course¸ the ability to walk the northern winds. This book includes the following archetypes: The windwalker bloodline¸ for bloodragers¸ that draws power from hunger and from eating the corpses of humanoid creatures. The order of the wendigo¸ a cavalier archetype whose weapons are rimed with frost¸ and whose mounts gain the ability to walk the northern winds. The wendigo kin¸ a druid archetype that specializes in swallowing her foes alive. The arctic channeler¸ a kineticist archetype with access to several unique snow- and ice-themed talents¸ and the ability to reduce burn through cannibalism. The caller of the north wind¸ a skald archetype that can conjure arctic gales and absorb the skills of those whose bodies he consumes. A bonus cleric domain for those who worship the Wind Walker. Whether you're about to embark on a campaign of eldritch horror (such as the official Paizo adventure path dealing with strange and alien entities)¸ or you just want an excuse to play a servant of the unknowable and uncaring cosmic entities of the Cthulhu mythos¸ this book has lots of tantalizing options to offer. Even GMs can get in on the fun¸ as several of the archetypes here are perfect for insane cultist NPCs as well¸ and can make for exciting and memorable encounters.